Ender's Game

by Orson Scott Card

Ender is a third--a third child--only born so that he can be used for whatever purpose the government sees fit. They've chosen Ender, as a very young boy, to attend battle school. There has been a global war with the Buggers, an alien race that the average human knows very little about. The powers that be fear another invasion, and are grooming children to defend humanity against this eventuality. Ender leaves behind on earth a beloved sister, Valentine, and a despised, and sociopathic, brother, Peter. As Ender trains to defeat the Buggers, Valentine and Peter plot to turn the government on its head by creating false identities on what basically amounts to internet forums. (This book was written in 1986, and what Card gets right about what the "future" looks like is really quite extraordinary.)

I found all three of these characters to be exquisitely drawn, and even the minor characters like Graff are so fully fleshed out that you can't help but care about them. There are twists and turns and aha moments galore, and when I wasn't with this book, I was thinking about it.

Ender's Game is now one of my favorite books ever.

Gracefully Grayson

by Ami Polonsky

For as long as Grayson can remember, he has wanted to be a girl. He doesn't share his secret with anyone--not his aunt and uncle, whom he has lived with since the death of his parents, and definitely not his two male cousins. His depression is palpable until he leaps on an opportunity to try out for the school play. He makes a bold decision--one that just might help him come to terms with who he is, but it won't be easy, and will come at a price.

The interesting thing about this book is that Grayson himself can't even really articulate how he feels. It brings to light the confusion and isolation that these kids must certainly struggle with as they try to align their emotions with their realities.

This book isn't perfect. Some of the minor characters sort of blend together, and at times it was TOO sad. I felt like my heartstrings were being purposefully tugged, and had to put the book down a few times to take a break from the darkness. But there is light in Grayson's story, too, and it's worth the journey to get there.

Forget Me

by K.A. Harrington

Morgan's boyfriend Flynn Parkman got hit by a car, while she watched, and now he's dead. A few months later, she decides to put a photo of him on FriendShare (a fictional Facebook), as a tribute, and it asks if she wants to tag him as Evan Murphy. When she looks closer at the picture of Evan, she's horrified to see that Evan looks exactly like Flynn. Questions begin to arise in her mind--how well did she really know Flynn, and could he actually still be alive? Her search for answers leads her through an exciting and dangerous chain of events, with twists and turns galore. This book was fun, fun, fun! Great characters, a mystery you won't figure out, and a fast read. I think you all will love it!